What are the advantages and disadvantages of an insertion-type flowmeter?
Insertion meters typically have two parts: a flow sensor that is installed in the pipeline through a saddle, threaded inlet or special in-line fitting and the flow computer that displays the rate of flow and totalizes.The advantages are many. Insertion meters are very cost effective relative to pipe size, especially in 4″ or larger pipes. This is because two sizes of insertion sensors can cover from 2″ to 48″ pipes. These meters are also very easy to install. The flow sensors can be mounted in vertical or horizontal pipes and normally only require a 1-1/2″ or 2″ NPT female inlet to the pipe. A hot-tap version of a flow sensor allows installation on a pressurized line as well as easy service without depressurization. Insertion meters also offer flexibility of use, since at any time a unit can be removed from one installation and reinstalled on another different size pipeline by simply reprogramming the flow computer. The various flow computer/display/transmitters offer many features suc
